150 THE AMERICAN FARMER. 



The Creeping Sea Meadow Grass, or Sea Spear Grass, (Poa maritima,} referred 

 by Gray to glyceria, is a beautiful grass which appears in and around salt marshes, growing 

 from six to twelve inches high, and having a perennial, creeping root. Stem erect, round, 

 smooth, leaves mostly folded and compressed, roughish on the inner surface, spikelets linear, 

 with from six to ten florets not webbed, the outer palea or lower floret terminating in an acute 

 point. Flowers in July. Grows naturally near the sea. 



The Water Spear Grass, or Reed Meadow Grass, (Poa aquatica,) grows in wet 

 soils, is a tall, reedy grass, four or five feet high with a panicle nearly a foot long, diffuse, with 

 smooth, flexuous branches. From its large size and broad leaves it can hardly be mistaken 

 for any of the other species of Poa. Its root is perennial, creeping, stem erect, stout, smooth, 

 joints seven, smooth, spikelets numerous, florets not webbed. Flowers in August. This 

 grass is referred by Gray and others, to glyceria. It is very common in wet meadows and 

 will be easily recognized. More nutritive when in flower than when the seed is ripe. It 

 contains a comparatively large per cent, of sugar. Makes a valuable fodder, and cattle are 

 very fond of it. 



Several other species belonging to this genus are frequently met with, as the Branching 

 Spear Grass, on dry, sandy soils, a very elegant species, with a large panicle of sea-green 

 spikelets; the Hair Spear Grass, also an elegant grass growing on similar soils, with a hairy 

 branching panicle over a foot long, leaves linear, nerved. But the most important of all is 

 the Fowl Meadow, or False Redtop. 



Fowl Meadow, Or False Redtop, (Poa serotina.) The specific characteristics of 

 this species are two to four, sometimes five, flowered spikelets, oval, spear-shaped, ligules 

 elongated, flowers acutish, green, often tinged with purple, roots slightly creeping; wet 

 meadows and banks of streams, very common. Flowers in July and August. In long- 

 continued moist weather the lower joints send up flowering stems. The panicle is erect and 

 spreading when in flower, but more contracted and drooping when ripe. It is perennial. 

 Native of Germany. 



It early commended itself to the attention of farmers, for Jared Eliot, writing in 1749, 

 says of it: &quot;There are two sorts of grass which are natives of the country, which I would 

 recommend, these are Herds-grass, (known in Pennsylvania by the name of Timothy- 

 grass,) the other is Fowl Meadow, sometimes called Duck-grass, and sometimes Swamp-idre 

 grass. It is said that Herds-grass was first found in a swamp in Piscataqua, by one Herd, who 

 propagated the same; that Fowl Meadow-grass was brought into a poor piece of meadow in 

 Dedham, by ducks and other wild water-fowl, and therefore called by such an odd name. 

 It is supposed to be brought into the meadows at Hartford by the annual floods, and called 

 there Swamp-wire grass. Of these two sorts of natural grass, the fowl-grass is much the 

 best; it grows tall and thick, makes a more soft and pliable hay than Herds-grass, and conse 

 quently will be more fit for pressing, in order to ship off with our horses; besides it is a good 

 grass, not in abundance inferior to English grass. It yields a good burden, three loads to 

 the acre. It must be sowed in low, moist land. This grass has another good quality, which 

 renders it very valuable in a country where help is so much wanting; it will not spoil 

 or suffer, although it stand beyond the common times for mowing. Clover will be lost, in 

 a great measure, if it be not cut in the proper season. Spear-grass, commonly called English 

 grass, if it stands too long, will be little better than rye straw ; if this outstand the time, it is 

 best to let it stand till there comes up a second growth, and then it will do tolerably well; 

 but this fowl-grass may be mowed any time from July to October. * * * This I wondered at, 

 but viewing some of it attentively, I think I have found the reason of it. When it is grown 

 about three foot high it then falls down, but doth not rot like other grass when lodged ; in a 

 little time after it is thus fallen down, at every joint it puts forth a new branch; now to 



